元雜劇為中國戲曲文本成熟之標誌，其體製規律為一本四折(或外加楔子)、一人獨唱(末本或旦本)、每折用同一宮調等等，此體製規律在戲曲發展的過程中，具有何種意義？在此體製規律之下，劇作家如何結撰劇本以推展故事、塑造人物、發揮主旨？劇作反映了什麼樣的思想內涵？呈現出如何的時代風貌？對於明清以後的戲曲發展又具有何種影響？以上均是本課程在引領學生研讀元雜劇經典劇本之餘，需要思考討論的重要議題。

Yuan Zaju is a symbol of the maturity of Chinese opera texts. Its institutional rules are four folds (or additional wedges), one person singing solo (the last version or the Dan version), the same palace tune for each fold, etc. What significance does this institutional rule have in the development process of opera? Under the rules of this system, how do playwrights compose scripts to advance stories, shape characters, and develop themes? What kind of ideological connotation does the play reflect? What kind of style of the times does it show? What impact did it have on the development of opera after the Ming and Qing Dynasties? The above are all important issues that this course needs to think about and discuss while leading students to study the classic scripts of Yuan dramas.

曾永義著，《參軍戲與元雜劇》，台北︰聯經，1992
張淑香著，《元雜劇中的愛情與社會》，台北︰大安，1980
曾永義等選注，《戲曲選粹》，台北︰國家，2001
王季思主編，《全元戲曲》，北京︰人民文學，1990

Zeng Yongyi, "Joining the Army Opera and Yuan Zaju", Taipei: Lianjing, 1992
Zhang Shuxiang, "Love and Society in Yuan Zaju", Taipei: Da'an, 1980
Selected notes by Zeng Yongyi and others, "Selected Operas", Taipei: National, 2001
Editor-in-chief Wang Jisi, "Full Yuan Opera", Beijing: People's Literature, 1990